Gabriella Nilsson

What are your goals for your term of office? Which issues are important, and why? 

If I am elected Pro Dean of First and Second-Cycle Studies, the goal during my term will be to ensure that the HT Faculties can continue to offer a broad range of programs that are highly relevant and of high quality, while also being financially sustainable. It is clear that the economic situation in the near future will be uncertain, and we cannot count on increased education funding. Therefore, we need to find administrative processes that are efficient, pedagogical methods that safeguard quality, and forms of collaboration that highlight the central importance of our disciplines in a time of change. 

I believe that collaboration across subject, department, faculty, and university boundaries will be essential going forward, as will close collaboration with industries where we see our students playing a key role. It will be more important than ever to clearly communicate to employers the skills our programs provide, but also to listen to what new knowledge will be needed in the future. Developments in AI are one example. We are already doing a lot that is good and right in this regard, but I envision that there is potential for much more. 

At the same time, it is important that education becomes even more inclusive, especially when engaging with new student groups. All students, regardless of background, should feel able to navigate the academic culture and receive early support in understanding the often unspoken expectations within higher education. A welcoming attitude, clarity, and curiosity about different students’ experiences are central to me. I look forward to a close dialogue with the student union on these issues. 

What is at the top of the agenda? 

What is at the top of the agenda is creating the conditions for long-term sustainable education programs at a time when the economy is becoming increasingly challenging and students’ needs and expectations are changing. After many years of a rather one-sided focus on the idea that humanities graduates are not employable, I sense that something is beginning to change. There is today a growing realization that without the humanities, we risk heading in a very problematic direction as a society, not least for democracy. I think the current faculty leadership’s work with Lund Humanities Village is an exciting initiative that has helped draw new attention to our disciplines. It is something I would very much like to be part of and continue to develop. 

My hope for the work of the entire faculty leadership is that we will collaborate closely with departments and department chairs. After all, it is within the departments that our core activities take place—we must not forget that. It is within the departments that the expertise and external networks reside. The faculty leadership should create the conditions for the disciplines to remain strong and relevant. For me, as Pro Dean of First and Second-Cycle Studies, the directors of studies will be an incredibly important group of leaders whose roles and mandates I believe need to be strengthened. I want to work closely with the directors of studies on issues related to finances and a strategic educational offering, and I look forward to developing new forms of internal and external collaboration together with them.  

What key experiences do you bring to the role of Pro Dean of First and Second-Cycle Studies? 

I believe an important step in achieving financial sustainability is to give the departments the conditions to work strategically with their programs. This may involve making it easier to track costs, identify the factors driving them, and find possible paths forward. At the Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences, a sustainable, strategic program offering has been something we’ve actively worked on in recent years, and gaining control over actual costs has been one of the most challenging tasks I’ve faced as head of department. That’s an experience I’m bringing with me into the role of Pro Dean of First and Second-Cycle Studies.  

But financial sustainability also requires collegial support and inspiration to develop pedagogy so that education becomes more inclusive and of higher quality while resources are used more efficiently. I believe this is possible by thinking creatively about alternative course structures, collaborating with partners outside academia, and involving students more in the educational process. In the field of ethnology, which is my background, we have long worked closely with external partners, so I’m bringing that experience with me into this new role.